The Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres, has issued a stark warning that the Middle East is on the “verge of the abyss.”
Guterres made the statement on Sunday, emphasizing the urgency of providing humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip. He called on Hamas, the ruling party in Gaza, to immediately release the hostages it has taken.
“Both objectives, ensuring humanitarian access and the release of hostages, are critical,” Guterres emphasized. “These issues should not be used as bargaining chips and must be addressed promptly because they are the right thing to do.”
Gaza is facing a dire humanitarian crisis, with shortages of water, electricity, and essential supplies. The UN chief revealed that there are stocks of food, water, non-food items, medical supplies, and fuel available in Egypt, Jordan, Israel, and the West Bank, ready to be sent to Gaza “within hours” if the necessary conditions for safe and unimpeded delivery are met.
Amidst this escalating crisis, the Israeli military has been conducting airstrikes on targets in the area. These operations began in response to a series of unprecedented attacks by Hamas fighters on Israeli civilians on October 7th.
Hamas, in an alarming act of aggression, launched thousands of rockets towards Israel and breached border defenses. This unprecedented surprise attack, which unfolded over a week ago, resulted in a horrifying massacre that claimed the lives of over 1,300 people and left more than 150 individuals abducted.
